When you know you’re going to be hit in the helmet with a 90-100mph rubber ball, your gear should protect you. There’s no way a goalie should get a concussion from a shot to the helmet.

Helmet manufacturers will tell you that no lacrosse helmet can fully prevent concussions. While that’s probably true, I will argue that the helmet you choose to wear does impact your probability of being concussed. As you’ll in the next section, science actually proved helmets protect differently.

The new helmet designs of today’s equipment manufacturers are lighter, sleeker, and cooler looking but many athletic trainers have postulated that these new helmets may increase the risk of cerebral concussions in men’s lacrosse players.

The sport is really in need of a “lacrosse goalie helmet” that’s beefed up specifically to prevent concussions on shots to the dome.

Why don’t they create one? I think the answer is obvious. The market is too small.

I have a lacrosse goalie site that gets a fraction of the visits of the general lacrosse blogs like Inside Lacrosse and LaxAllStars which probably get hundreds of thousands of monthly views.

Until then, lacrosse goalies are left using the same helmets as field players.

Helmets were raised to 152 cm and released onto an anvil padded with a 1.27-cm rubber modular elastomer programmer. Ten treatments to a front (FD) and right rear boss drop site (RD) were performed. An accelerometer within the head form measured impact force.

The study found that the different helmets dissipate levels of force differently. With one helmet doing a much better job of protecting than the others.

While each manufacturer has since upgraded their helmet, I think the results of the study are still true – some helmets do a better job against concussion prevention than others.

I couldn’t find a similar study with the current modern day helmets but that would incredibly interesting to see because us lacrosse goalies need to know which helmets protect our domes the best.

Lacrosse needs to do a better job with helmet safety. Period.

Lacrosse Goalie Concussion Prevention

To reduce your chances of getting a concussion, besides a good fitting helmet, there are a few other options that goalies can try.

Lexi Shield

I’ve discussed the Lexi Shield pretty thoroughly on the blog including this full Lexi Shield review.

The Lexi Shield is an aftermarket device that attaches to the bridge of the helmet and helps reduce the impact of shots to that area.

By reducing force the head and helmet receives on shots to the forehead, the Lexi Shield is scientifically proven to reduce concussions.

Note – I have a few extra Lexi Shields (thanks to the amazing team at Lexi Shield) and I’m giving them away free for those who sign up for the Lax Goalie Rat camp. While supplies last!

Guardian Cap

Same idea as the Lexi Shield, the Guardian Cap is an aftermarket device attached to the helmet to help reduce impact.

The Guardian Cap is more conspicuous as it covers the full helmet. I don’t think that’s necessary for lax goalies as I can’t ever remember getting hit in the side of the head by a shot.

Both the Lexi Shield and the Guardian Cap are not approved by the high school or NCAA rules so these are practice wear items only. You’ll have to take them off for games.

Custom-made Mouth Guard

High school football players wearing store-bought, over-the-counter mouthguards were more than twice as likely to suffer mild traumatic brain injuries/concussions than those wearing custom-made, properly fitted mouthguards, reported the study.

Studies have theorized that mouthguards can reduce concussion risk because they help absorb shock, stabilize the head and neck, and limit movement caused by direct hits to the head and jaw.

So when it’s time to get your goalie’s mouth guard, visit the dentist, not Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Tennis Balls or Soft Lacrosse Balls

A myth regarding concussions is that the greater the impact force the more likely a concussion. The data actually suggests that concussive injury can occur with different levels of impact.

So with the softer balls regardless of shot speed, the impact will be lessened.

These balls also don’t sting as much if a shot is taken to the legs or arms which can result in a contusion that zaps a goalie of his/her will to practice if its a normal rubber lacrosse ball.

The tennis balls and softer lacrosse are way lighter than normal pills so it will mess with shooters but if the drills you’re working are for the goalies, that doesn’t matter.

Conclusion

Characterized by an impairment of the brain’s normal function and caused by violent shaking or jarring of the brain, concussions may cause alterations in cognitive function, vision, eye movement, facial movement, or speech.

Anyone who has gone through a concussion knows the deal. You’re not yourself for at least a few days while you’re recovering.

Anytime a goalie takes a loud shot to the head, he or she must be checked for a concussion. Continued to play goalie while concussed only has additional risks.

Given that we know lacrosse goalies will take 90-100mph shots to the head, it seems silly that we use the same exact helmets as field players.

Luckily there is additional aftermarket protection that can help goalies reduce concussions in practice.

Until next time! Coach Damon

Anyone out there suffered a concussion? Would love to hear about it in the comments.

10 thoughts on “Lacrosse Goalies and Concussions – A Plea to End the Madness”

My daughter played 5 years as a Keeper. She got a concussion in her third year. Since then she has been much more cautious, or as much as she could. Last Fall was her senior year in high school. Last tournament of the season and she got rocked in a 7v7 set. It was scary watching her take that shot full force from 3 feet away and watch her fall back into the goal. This time was heavy wiplash but still we took all the same precautions. She has a top of the line helmet but like you said, it’s what the rest of the boy’s team is using. That exterior pad would have been a great addition. She’s in college now and opted out of playing. She won’t admit it but I know it stems from that last headshot. She turned down offers from colleges, but I didn’t argue because I’m not the one out there getting the beat down on the field. I would have loved to see her compete at the collegiate level because she was good enough. Keep doing what you do to improve the sport and protect the Keepers!

While I still do worry a lot about head shots (and I agree wholeheartedly that a properly designed goalie helmet should be a priority for lacrosse manufacturers), some of the more recent research from the NFL has actually made me feel better about my son playing lacrosse. Specifically, it now seems likely that CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is due more to repetitive impacts than individual big concussive events, and this is good news for lax players. So long as attention is paid to make sure that goalies aren’t playing concussed, long term issues like CTE seem unlikely. Nonetheless, I’d still much rather see good preventative measures taken to protect goalies, as I’m not sure there is such a thing as being too safe where equipment is concerned. At the very least, high schools and the NCAA should allow the use of devices currently on the market – I fail to see how they would provide an improper advantage, and if it prevents even a few head traumas it is surely worth trying.

Rumor has it that Va Tech is currently reviewing all the current model helmets but Cascade is trying to stop them from releasing it. They know the S is the least protective helmet but don’t want that getting out there. Also have heard that Warrior has a new helmet on the horizon and Vicis has one as well (price will be a big factor there).

I would also add that US Lacrosse noted in their new Box Lacrosse rules that hockey style helmets were not approved. Why are they good enough for 100+ mph hockey pucks but not for lacrosse balls?

I understand why Cascade wouldn’t want that study to come out. Would likely show newer models protect less. The Cascade R/Warrior Regulator failed NOCSAE compliance and they never really said why or what was fixed to gain that compliance back. But just goes to show newer models = less protection. I wonder how much equipment manufacturers get to the lobby the rules.

Coached 5 seasons and we had one goalie with multiple concussions, two of them (IIRC) from shots to the head. Another goalie got another one. Both of them got one each from an accidental dive by an attackman. One of those bang-bang plays where maybe the attackman dove or maybe the defender jammed him at the last second, either way one goalie hit his head on the goal frame and another one got hit head-to-head. And now they’ve brought the dive back! So dumb. Thanks for addressing this important issue. Let’s learn from football and get ahead–require the goofy looking helmets, screw it. They are more effective and can keep our game from going the same way as football. Style isn’t worth your brain and future.

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About Coach Damon

About Coach Damon

Lacrosse is my passion! The game has given me so much and this blog is my way of giving back to the lax community. Specifically the most bad a$$ part of that community - the goalies! After learning to play goalie from scratch, I wanted to create a site where I could share what I learned with others so they too can become champions in the crease and in life. Learn more about Coach Damon.